THE Philippines and China discussed ways to dial down tension in the South China Sea and agreed to address incidents in the region "through diplomacy," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

The Philippines and China on Wednesday convened the 8th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea in Shanghai, China. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro led the Philippine delegation.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the waterway, but relations sharply deteriorated recently over a series of incidents involving vessels from both countries.

Confrontations were at their most intense around the Ayungin Shoal, which Beijing refers to as the Ren'ai Shoal, where Manila has stationed a grounded naval vessel, the BRP Sierra Madre, to assert its territorial claims.

This photo taken on April 23, 2023 shows BRP Malapascua (right) maneuvering as a Chinese coast guard ship cuts its path at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. AFP PHOTO

Last December, the DFA filed a diplomatic protest against the China Coast Guard for using a water cannon on Philippine vessels delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal and soldiers stationed on the Sierra Madre.

China filed a counter protest, insisting that Ayungin is part of Nansha Qundao or Spratly Group of Islands.

The Sierra Madre was deliberately grounded at Ayungin in 1999 to serve as a "constant Philippine government presence" in the area, the DFA said.

This was in response to China's "illegal occupation" in 1995 of Panganiban Reef or Mischief Reef, it said.

This month, China held military drills in the South China Sea as the United States and the Philippines conducted their own joint exercises in the same waters.

During the BCM, Beijing said the two countries held a "candid and in-depth exchange of views" on the situation in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

Both sides agreed "that maintaining communication and dialogue is essential to maintaining maritime peace and stability," China's foreign ministry said in a readout.

They said they would work to improve their "maritime communication mechanism," Beijing added, in a bid to "properly handle maritime emergencies, especially the situation on the Ren'ai Shoal."

Manila, in turn, said the two countries "agreed that continuous dialogue is important to keep peace and stability at sea" and "assured each other of their mutual commitment to avoid escalation of tensions."

The BCM was held following the agreement reached between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in the United States last November "to ease and manage tensions in the South China Sea."

It was followed by a phone call between Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in December.

"Both sides presented their respective positions on the Ayungin Shoal [in the West Philippine Sea] and assured each other of their mutual commitment to avoid escalation of tensions," the Foreign Affairs department said.

The Philippines and China have agreed to improve their maritime communication mechanism, particularly between their foreign ministries and coast guards.

They agreed to start talks on possible academic exchanges on marine scientific research between Filipino and Chinese scientists, the DFA said.

WITH AFP